There was once a King, and he had a Queen; and he was the manliest of his sex, and she was the loveliest of hers. The King was, in his private profession, Under Government. The Queen's father had been a medical man out of town. They had nineteen children, and were always having more. Seventeen of these children took care of the baby; and Alicia, the eldest, took care of them all. Their ages varied from seven years to seven months. One day the King was going to the office, when he stopped at the fishmonger's to buy a pound and a half of salmon not too near the tail, which the Queen had requested him to send home. Mr Pickles, the fishmonger, said, "Certainly, sir, is there any other article, Good-morning." But what of the old lady in the shop? The King hadn't noticed her and she is VERY important to this story for she is the Good Fairy Grandmarina. But just how important you ask? Well, you'll just have to download and read this story and find out for yourselves!

There was once a King, and he had a Queen; and he was the manliest of his sex, and she was the loveliest of hers. The King was, in his private profession, Under Government. The Queen’s father had been a medical man out of town. They had nineteen children, and were always having more. Seventeen of these children took care of the baby; and Alicia, the eldest, took care of them all. Their ages varied from seven years to seven months. One day the King was going to the office, when he stopped at the fishmonger’s to buy a pound and a half of salmon not too near the tail, which the Queen had requested him to send home. Mr Pickles, the fishmonger, said, “Certainly, sir, is there any other article, Good-morning.” But what of the old lady in the shop? The King hadn’t noticed her and she is VERY important to this story for she is the Good Fairy Grandmarina. But just how important you ask? Well, you’ll just have to download and read this story and find out for yourselves! TAGS: Magic Fishbone, King Watkins, Princess Alicia, 19 children, nineteen children, fishmonger, Good Fairy Grandmarina, blue fairy, Duchess the doll, secret, princes, princesses, baby, 18 cooks, dance, despondency, dressed in splendour, exquisite, happily ever after, Charles Dickens, Fairy tale, folklore, children’s story, children’s stories

The Magic Fishbone (+Biography and Bibliography) (Matte Cover Finish): "The story contained herein was written by Charles Dickens in 1867. It is the second of four stories entitled

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR by New York Public Library • Kirkus Reviews • Booklist • Publishers Weekly In this gorgeous debut graphic novel, fairy tales are the only way one boy can communicate with his Vietnamese immigrant parents. But how will he find the words to tell them that he’s gay? A powerful read about family, identity and the enduring magic of stories. “One of the most astounding graphic novels of the year" –Entertainment Weekly Tien and his mother may come from different cultures—she’s an immigrant from Vietnam still struggling with English; he’s been raised in America—but through the fairy tales he checks out from the local library, those differences are erased. But as much as Tien’s mother’s English continues to improve as he reads her tales of love, loss, and travel across distant shores, there’s one conversation that still eludes him—how to come out to her and his father. Is there even a way to explain what he’s going through in Vietnamese? And without a way to reveal his hidden self, how will his parents ever accept him? This beautifully illustrated graphic novel speaks to the complexity of family and how stories can bring us together even when we don’t know the words. “A lyrical masterpiece.” –BuzzFeed

Molly's fairy godmother gives her a magic fishbone that will grant one wish, which the resourceful girl saves until she really needs it.

This is the extraordinary story of a very nearly ordinary princess named Alicia. Given a magic fish-bone by a good fairy, Alicia can have whatever she wishes--provided she wishes for it at the right time. But it's never clear when the right time is, and sometimes the best magic is no magic at all....